


If This Is Fate

by Phoebe_Snow



Series: Perfection Never Looked So Good [13]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Apartment, Break Up, Christmas, Cookies, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Holidays, Humor, Imagine your OTP, Meet-Cute, Mention of Andy Williams, Nat is BAMF and sweet at the same time, Neighbors, Romance, Steve gets some moxie, Surprise Kissing, Tumblr Prompt, Winter, romanogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-08 02:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8826001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe_Snow/pseuds/Phoebe_Snow
Summary: "Do you like snickerdoodles?"

  "Are you kidding? We must be telepathically linked or something because I love snickerdoodles."

  "Telepathically linked, indeed. Or maybe this is fate." Natasha's eyes twinkled with playfulness as she grinned at him.

  "If this is fate, then snickerdoodles are a good place to start."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Faith2nyc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faith2nyc/gifts), [LoveLustnSin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveLustnSin/gifts).



> I know that Christmas is officially over now, but my muse could have cared less. I needed to fulfill my Romanogers neighbor AU and sprinkle a little Christmas and cookies in the mix, so here you have it. Enjoy~!❤️  
> [Cover art](http://greenfleeze.tumblr.com/post/155037066563/do-you-like-snickerdoodles-are-you)

* * *

 

 

"Hold the elevator!"

  
Natasha heard the voice call out and she quickly pushed the 'open' button on the elevator panel. The doors slid back open again and in came a very handsome man with slightly spiky blond hair. He wore a blue jacket, a white shirt, jeans and a pair of Nike's.

  
When he entered the elevator, he gave her a little smile. "Thank you."

  
"Oh, no problem," she replied.

  
Prior to that moment, Natasha had been reading about how to make madeleines, when in walked this devastatingly handsome Adonis whose beautiful blue eyes made her forget what she was doing. Natasha hadn't been in the mood to talk, but one look at this guy had her changing her mind quickly.

  
Nothing wrong with being friendly, right? After all, Wanda had been telling Natasha that she needed to make friends and meet new people. Now was as good a time to start as any.

  
She noticed that he was holding a duffel bag and the strap was secured around his shoulders. Then she remembered that the apartment next door to hers was just rented recently. Maybe he was moving in...?

  
Clearing her throat, she said, "You're a new tenant, right?"

  
He turned to look at her and nodded. "Yeah, I just moved all of my stuff in. This duffel bag is the last of it. You live here?"

  
"Mmhm. For three years now. I'm Natasha Romanoff." She held out her hand to shake his, which he shook warmly.

  
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Romanoff," he said in a kind voice.

  
"Oh, please don't call me _Ms._ It makes me feel old. Natasha is fine."

  
"Alright. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Natasha. I'm Steve Rogers."

  
"Likewise. If you don't mind my asking...which apartment are you moving into?"

  
"That would be 236."

  
"You know, that's the apartment next to mine."

  
"Oh, really?"

  
"Yep."

  
"Ah. It's nice to know I have a friendly neighbour."

  
"Same here. If you ever need to borrow a cup of sugar, butter or anything else, feel free to ask, okay? My door is always open."

  
"Thank you. I really appreciate that, Natasha."

  
"No problem."

  
Seconds later, the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing the hallway of the fourteenth floor.

  
Steve held his hand out in front of her, motioning for her to go ahead of him. She did and they both walked down the hall, briefly glancing at each other in silence.

  
From what Natasha could see, Steve had an athletic body and obviously kept himself in shape. Probably went to the gym or worked out at home. She also noticed that he had the tiniest hips she'd ever seen on a man.

  
_Good God, he's shaped like a Dorito,_ she mused as she looked up and down his torso.

  
"Thanks for the warm welcome."

  
Natasha blinked and was promptly drawn out of her reverie. Oh, they'd reached their fring doors and Steve was talking to her. She gave him a smile and shook her head. "Don't mention it. It's nice to be neighbourly."

  
"I definitely agree with you on that. I guess I'll see you around, then...neighbour." He winked at her and she felt her heart slam against her chest.

  
He'd just unlocked his door and moved to step inside when she said, "Hey! Um, since we both see eye-to-eye on being neighbourly, why don't I bring you a plate of cookies to celebrate your move?"

  
Steve grinned widely when she said that. "You've just mentioned my number one weakness. I could never say no to cookies. Sure. I'd like that."

  
"Great! And don't worry about them being store bought. I always make cookies from scratch." She thought for a moment. "Do you like snickerdoodles?"

  
He looked at her in disbelief, then excitement. "Are you kidding? We must be telepathically linked or something because I _love_ snickerdoodles."

  
"Telepathically linked, indeed. Or maybe this is fate." Natasha's eyes twinkled with playfulness as she grinned at him.

  
"If this is fate, then snickerdoodles are a good place to start. When should I expect you?"

  
"Gimme an hour and I'll be over or if you want, you can hang around and check me out-I mean, watch me-uh...you can _talk_ to me while I make the cookies. That's what I meant." Natasha ran a hand through her hair and chuckled awkwardly.

  
Steve laughed with her too, sensing how embarrassed she was over her slip-up. He had a feeling that she didn't invite many people to her apartment. In which case, he would be honoured to stop by. "Sounds good to me. I just have one question, though. Can I lick the bowl when you're finished?"

  
The look on his face reminded Natasha of an eager puppy and she couldn't resist giggling. "Yes, you may." With that, she unlocked her door and said, "The door's unlocked, so feel free to come in whenever you'd like."

  
"Alright. I'll come over in a few minutes." He gave her a nod and went in his apartment and she went into hers.

  
Once Natasha walked through the door and closed it, she leaned against the wood. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding. Yeah, Steve was sinfully attractive with a body that she could have a good time fantasising about, but that wasn't the only thing.

  
Living a life as she had, without making many friends - hell, it had been a miracle that Wanda even chose to stick around - made Natasha close her heart closed off to the prospect of letting anyone care about her. After Alexei...trusting others, taking their friendship at face value and not believing they had some ulterior motive was a difficult habit to break.

  
But maybe Steve would be different. This time, Natasha decided not to second-guess a person she didn't even know and give him the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't sure why, but there was a strong sense of peace in her mind when she thought about Steve. Perhaps it was premature, but she didn't think she'd regret inviting him to her apartment.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It turned out that she was right. Steve came over a few minutes after they'd spoken and the conversation between them flowed naturally. Natasha learned that Steve was an illustrator for children's books and occasionally taught painting classes. He was also very much a sensitive soul, so it made perfect sense to her that he was an artist.

  
In return, Natasha told Steve about her job as a manager and teacher at the Black Widow dance school a few blocks away from their apartment complex. She always had a gracefulness with her body and that hadn't escaped Steve in the slightest.

  
"So how come you're not a professional dancer?" He asked her in between bites of a snickerdoodle. "It's obvious that you've got the gift for it."

  
"I just feel more comfortable being a dance teacher instead. I actually did perform for the New York Ballet Company for ten years, and was a prima ballerina for three. It was a wonderful experience, but far too competitive." She sighed and shook her head, the memories of her turbulent last years at the company coming back to her mind.

  
"I always had to wonder if my 'friends' were going to stab me in the back and try to take my spot. There was a lot of drama and anyone who's lived through high school knows that excessive drama in life is undesirable. Especially when you're an adult."

  
Steve frowned. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Natasha. I didn't know dance was so..."

  
"Complicated?"

  
"Yeah."

  
"Me either. Until I worked there, that is. Working with other adults and kids at the dance school is a lot less stressful for me than being a professional ballerina in the dance world. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, but if I had the chance to go through it again, I'd pass."

  
"So being a dance teacher makes you happy?"

  
"Yeah, it does. I feel content when I'm teaching. It's almost cathartic in a way, if that makes sense."

  
"It does. That's exactly how I feel as an illustrator."

  
Natasha smiled and rested her chin on her knees, smiling at him. "That's right. You really like art, huh?"

  
"Oh, ever since I was a kid, I had a gift for art. When I got older, my passion for it just grew stronger. I honestly couldn't imagine living my life and not being an artist."

  
There was a sense of joy that rolled off Steve's tongue as he talked to her and Natasha realized that they were very much alike. "Amazing. We're both teachers. Doing what we love. There's nothing better in the world than that, right?"

  
"Not a thing." Steve returned Natasha's smile and opened his mouth to say something else when his cell phone rang. He sighed and gave her an apologetic look once he saw who was calling him. Lifting the cell to his ear, he said, "Hello? Mom, hey. Can you give me a second? Okay." Steve's smile turned sympathetic and he muted his phone before speaking. "It's my mom. I have to take this. I'm sorry."

  
"Oh, no apology necessary. We can talk later. Maybe...I could come over tomorrow and bring you some more cookies? And hot chocolate, since it's getting colder every day." Natasha's fingers were crossed behind her back and she hoped that he'd say yes.

  
"More cookies and hot chocolate, too? Natasha Romanoff, you may just be a woman after my own heart. That sounds great." He got off the stool he'd been sitting on and leaned down to kiss her cheek briefly. "Thanks for inviting me over and for the snicker doodles. You have a real baker's thumb. See you around."

  
Natasha blushed involuntarily and it took a lot of willpower to keep her hand from touching her cheek in surprise. "Bye, Steve," she whispered and she watched him wave goodbye before heading to her front door, exiting her apartment and shutting the door.

  
Now that she was alone, Natasha touched her cheek and beamed. Steve had been such a gentleman and she thoroughly enjoyed his visit. They had quite a bit in common with each other. At this point, they were little more than strangers, but she hoped that something more might come out of this budding friendship.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  
Two months had passed since Natasha and Steve met at the apartment complex and their relationship grew more and more. They became close friends and confidantes in that span of time. It even became sort of a ritual for Natasha to come by Steve's apartment twice a week with a new homemade dessert. He loved all of her treats and suggested that she sell some of them on the side.

  
How could she _not_ have agreed to that? Especially when Steve was always willing to try out her goodies and tell her how they fared. Since it was December and nearing Christmas, she was getting a lot more orders in for her cookies. That's why having Steve as a willing guinea pig helped, but that wasn't the only reason Natasha liked his availability. She'd begun to care about him and she suspected that he felt the same way, but there was just one problem.

  
He had a girlfriend.

  
Her name was Sharon Carter and she was all wrong for him. Steve had come to Natasha many times within the past two months they'd been friends and lamented about how hard it was being involved with Sharon. She was needy, clingy and suspicious of everything he did. She was like a real life version of Uma Thurman's neurotic character in My Super Ex-Girlfriend.

  
The only reason he stayed with Sharon was because she worked in the legal department at Carter Publishing, which was where Steve was employed. She was also the daughter of his boss, Harrison Carter, and Steve believed that if he broke up with Sharon, Harrison would fire him. This was ridiculous, but Steve had an issue when it came to strong-willed women. It was hard for him to say no to them, so he was a bit of a pushover.

  
Luckily, Natasha, too, was a strong-willed woman and she'd been helping Steve get over his passivity around tough women. As a matter of fact, he and Sharon were presently in his apartment, where he was breaking it off with her. Sharon's nagging had gotten unbearable and Steve decided that he wasn't going to take it anymore.

  
Before Steve called Sharon to come over, he had told Natasha, "If Harrison fires me, I'll go to another publishing house. I'm one of the best illustrators in the business. It won't be hard for me to find a new job."

  
His firmness of mind and resolute attitude had been so arousing that it was a good thing Natasha had left soon after or else she might have shamelessly thrown herself at him.

  
Sharon had been at Steve's apartment for a handful of minutes now and she kept shouting at him until Natasha felt like her ears might go numb. Then, as if things couldn't get worse, the sound of a crash against the wall made Natasha jump up in surprise.

  
That was it. Natasha was sick of listening to Sharon rant and rave, and now, she was throwing things? Oh, _hell_ no. The redhead got out of her bed and stormed out of her apartment with a mission on her mind. She went to Steve's front door and twisted the doorknob, pleased to find that he left it unlocked.

  
Once she opened the door, she could hear Sharon's yelling loud and clear.

  
"Why do you keep avoiding the question, Steve?! What good reason could you possibly have for breaking up with me? I'm as good a woman as you're ever going to get!"

  
_That remains to be seen,_ Natasha mused as she stepped forward. She walked until she stood on the edge of the living room carpet, which was where Sharon was with her hands on her hips, facing Steve. His eyes flickered past Sharon's shoulder to where Natasha was standing, but he said nothing, averting his gaze and glaring at the other blonde in the room.

  
Steve shot back, "I told you already. I'm just not interested in you anymore, Sharon. I don't have the same feelings for you that I once did. Can you just respect that and leave?" He was not begging, more like asking, but with force. Good. If she threw things and screamed like a child because she didn't get her way, she deserved to be treated as such.

  
Natasha looked down to see what had been thrown against the wall and gasped at the sight before her. The blue plate of Christmas tree and candy cane-shaped sugar cookies that she had given to Steve were in pieces on the floor and the cookies were scattered around the wall.

  
An enraged scowl appeared on Natasha's face and she growled, "Oh, I **know** you didn't break my favorite plate and ruin those cookies."

  
Sharon's spine stiffened and she twirled around, an angry and confused expression on her face when she saw Natasha. "And just who the hell are you?"

  
Steve furrowed his brows, unsure of what to do. "Uh, this is Natasha, my..." He wanted to say _girlfriend_ , but Sharon was the current girlfriend he was trying to get rid of with great difficulty. _Friend_ sounded like an insult and _neighbor_ was true, but they had grown so close that it didn't sound right describing their relationship.

  
It was obvious to Natasha that Steve was struggling to find the right word for their relationship and she understood his dilemma. However, she knew that Sharon wouldn't leave unless she got some incentive that Steve didn't want to be with her. It was just his luck that the perfect idea came to Natasha's mind.

 

Moving forward without a second's delay, Natasha brushed past Sharon and headed straight for Steve. When she was close enough, she put her hand behind his neck and tugged him down to her level, pressing her lips hard against his own.

  
Steve startled at first, but he adapted quickly, raising his hands to settle on her waist. The kiss had been an on-the-spot decision, so Natasha wasn't expecting a long kiss. Boy, was she wrong. Steve put just as much into the kiss as she did.

  
He nibbled her bottom lip, which made her gasp and moan in pleasure. Her response encouraged him to allow his hands to drift southward until his palms made contact with her backside. He had a lot of guts to let those fingers roam so freely in front of his girlfriend, but Natasha knew that his point was to drive her away.

  
"Steve!" Sharon screeched, stomping her foot. "Are you cheating on me with this woman?! That's the reason you don't find me interesting anymore?!"

  
_Buzzkill._

  
On that note, Steve and Natasha pulled away - rather reluctantly - and turned back to face Sharon.

  
It was a miracle that Natasha was able to reply to Sharon after that kiss. "Yes, he is and it's your fault it happened. You really can't believe that your relationship with Steve was healthy? Whenever you're around, he's always stressed, nervous and unsure of himself. Just face the facts. You're no good for him."

  
Sharon's jaw dropped and she stared at Natasha, rage all over her features. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of...disease!"

  
"If you put it that way, then I guess you are, and I'm the _cure_." Steve took her hand in his and squeezed it affectionately. She briefly smiled at him before sending back a stern glare to the other woman. "Leave, Sharon. You're not welcome here anymore."

  
"Y-you can't talk to me like that!"

  
"Oh, really? Well, in that case, **you** shouldn't have talked to Steve the way you did earlier or thrown those cookies at the wall, but you did it anyway. That's the pot calling the kettle black. Now, please go."

  
Sharon's lips trembled and she switched her eyes back and forth to Steve and Natasha. "Fine. You have _no_ idea what you're missing, Steve. You think _she_ will make you happy? Ha. I give it a week, tops. Then you'll come crawling back to me, but you just see if I'll take you after that!"

  
"Don't try to project your wishful thinking on me, Sharon. There's no way I'd ever go back to you." Steve looked down at Natasha with a look of pride on his face. "I know what's in my future and I like the direction I'm going."

  
"Just wait until my father hears about this!"

  
"Yeah, that's another thing. You can tell Harrison that I quit. Effective immediately. There are plenty other publishing companies that have reached out to me the past few years and the only reason I turned them down was because I didn't have the guts to leave Carter House. I'm through letting you and your father smother me. I'm done, now, get out."

  
He didn't have to tell her twice. With a screech and an angry - childish, really - stamp of her feet, Sharon stormed out of Steve's apartment and slammed the door. For a moment, all they heard was the sound of Andy Williams singing Happy Holidays on Steve's stereo.

  
After a few minutes, Natasha blew out a breath of fresh air and hugged the blond next to her. "Steve! That was amazing! You stood up to her and kicked her out of your apartment, too! I'm so proud of you!"

  
He grinned at her and shook his head as if he were stunned by his moxie, too. "Thanks. I didn't even know I had it in me."

  
She laughed joyously and pressed her lips to his passionately, then pulled back when she realized what she had just done. "Oh. Sorry. I...don't know what I was thinking." A faint pink tinted her cheeks and Steve smiled at her reaction.

  
"You're blushing." The gentleness in his voice made her insides turn to jelly.

  
"Yeah, I'm just upset. You know. I mean, she destroyed my cookies and she broke my favorite plate." Natasha avoided his eyes and went over to the mess by the wall. "All my hard work gone right down the drain." She turned to him. "I'll help you clean this up." Then she began to move towards the kitchen closet where the broom and dust pan were.

  
"Wait." Steve grabbed her arm and tugged her back to him before she could get away. The look in his eyes made her breath hitch. It was almost as if he were gazing at her in adoration.

  
"What's up?" She asked him shakily, trying to give him her best fake disarming smile.

  
"I wouldn't have had the courage to break up with Sharon if it weren't for you. I owe you, Nat."

  
_Dammit._ Why did he have to say things like that?! It was hard enough holding herself back from kissing him again. To appear nonchalant, Natasha waved her hand. "It's no big deal. I didn't really do much."

  
"You don't understand. In the past two months that I've known you, my life has changed. I've become a different man because of you, Natalia Romanova, and I like it." He took her hand in his and held it against his heart. "I like _you_."

  
Natasha's eyes watered at the sound of her Russian name on his lips. It was heavenly to hear. "Don't tease me..." she whispered.

  
"I'm not...I meant every word."

  
Heart pounding, Natasha felt a sensation of glee rise up within her. So he returned her feelings! Her palms were so sweaty that she had to keep rubbing them in her pants. God, she had never been so nervous before in her life! "I like you, too," was her reply, fingers grazing his jaw.

  
They stared at each other for a moment longer, then Steve leaned forward and brushed her lips with his, just a brief touch to see how she'd respond. He watched a tear slide down her cheek and she tugged him by his collar, kissing him feverishly.

  
The redhead's hands ran up to his hair and twisted through the blond strands as she moaned softly, pushing him against the wall. Steve was surprised by how strong she was, but he wouldn't dare complain. He'd been aching to kiss her from the first moment he met her, so this was a dream come true.

  
Steve sneaked his hands under Natasha's shirt and covered one of her breasts with his palm, squeezing it ever so gently. Her eyes flew wide open and she hissed in pleasure.

  
As much as she loved feeling his hands on her body, she needed more, so she pulled away from him for a few moments to catch her breath and also to whip off her shirt. Her bosom was heaving and the straps of her bra were half-off her shoulders, which Steve's stared at like a missile homing in on its target. He moved to grab her again, but she took a backwards step and shook her finger at him.

  
"Uh-uh. Quid pro quo, Rogers. I took off my shirt, now you strip. It's only fair." Natasha's entire stance and the way she spoke just screamed confidence and sexuality which caused Steve's blood to boil.

  
He made a quick work of his jacket and shirt, tossing them on the floor. Natasha smirked and walked back into his arms, purring, "Mm, you're so eager to please. I think you just might be a keeper." She fingered the dog tags that he wore around his neck. "You know, I've always had a secret kink for making love to retired military men wearing their dog tags. What do you say we...fulfill that fantasy?"

  
"I'm all for it, but are you sure this is what you want, Nat?" There was a slight tinge of doubt in Steve's voice, like he was worried she was going to wake up the next morning with regrets. Well, she would just have to dissuade him of that thought.

  
"Yes, Steve. I'm sure. I've wanted this to happen for a long time, and I want you in every way possible. In the bed, on the table, against the wall, whatever. I just want _you_."

  
Her words shook Steve to his core and he growled in pleasure, picking her up and in his arms, holding her backside tightly to keep her flush against his body. There wasn't much space between their skin now. "Then you'd better get ready because when I'm finished with you, you won't be able to walk for days."

  
She shivered in delight and pressed her breasts against his chest. A wicked grin spread across her face and she said, "Mm, I think it's safe to say that, this year, I'm going to have a _very_ Merry Christmas."

 

 


End file.
